Board of Directors

Biographies

Bob Borthwick

A landscape architect, Bob Borthwick has had a lifelong love for the environment which began with childhood vacations to Yosemite. He has received professional awards for notable projects such as the Avalon Waterfront on Catalina Island, and the San Clemente Beach Trail. Bob completed a B.S. in Environmental Design at Cal Poly Pomona, where he now chairs the Landscape Architectural Advisory Board. He is a Guest Critic for scholarship competitions there, at USC, and at UCLA. Bob has served on several advisory committees for the City of Laguna Beach, including Trails and Open Space. To celebrate his 50th birthday, he hiked the 220-mile John Muir Trail.

Ron Chilcote

Ron Chilcote worked closely with Jim Dilley as early as 1973 and joined the board in 1975. He has dedicated his landscape photography to two books, Nature’s Laguna Wilderness (2003) and The Laguna Wilderness (2014), both published by Laguna Wilderness Press (LWP). As professor of economics and political science at UC Riverside, he is author or editor of three dozen books, editor of the bimonthly journal Latin American Perspectives, and director of LWP. Ron is founder and coordinator of the Temple Hills Community Association in Laguna Beach, where he resides with his wife, Frances, and is active in conserving open space in and around the town.

Laura Cohen

Laura Cohen has been enthralled with wildlife and wildlands since her childhood, when she observed butterflies and salamanders in her backyard and enjoyed annual family camping trips to the national parks. She earned a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential and a Master of Arts in Biological Science from California State University, Fullerton. Laura worked as the director of the Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy for ten years and worked for fifteen years as the Resource Specialist at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Laura became a Certified Interpretive Trainer through the National Association for Interpretation. Since her retirement, Laura has continued to lead restoration programs at Laguna Coast and is honored to be a member of the Laguna Greenbelt Board of Directors.

Kate Clark

Kate Clark is a 17-year Laguna resident who has lived in Ann Arbor and in Irvine, where she was a planning commissioner. From her double majors(biology and English) at Stephens College, the University of Nebraska, and UCI, and beyond her 2009 retirement from Irvine Valley College, Professor Emerita Clark has pursued twin interests in ecology and education. She is a 10-year weekly volunteer at the Nix Nature Center; consults with community colleges on accreditation, curriculum, and governance; and serves on civic and philanthropic boards, supporting education and nature studies. Kate endured knee replacement to hike once again with friends and family around the world.

John Foley

John Foley is an Electrical Engineer and IT Professional with over 35 years in technology. John retired as a member of the executive management team for a technology solutions and professional services company and relocated to the area in 2015. As an avid hiker, photographer, and Naturalist, he immediately gained an appreciation and passion for the beauty of the coastal wilderness. John volunteers with Laguna Canyon Foundation leading public hikes, assisting the restoration team, and performing wildlife camera monitoring in Aliso and Wood Canyons and Laguna Coast Wilderness Parks. John also provides support to Crystal Cove State Park in the backcountry as a volunteer Trail Assistant. He is dedicated to protecting the South Coast Wilderness through research, open-space stewardship, conservation, and public education.

Norm Grossman

Norm Grossman became involved with environmental issues soon after moving to Laguna Beach in 1978. He joined the Greenbelt board in 1984 and served on the Laguna Beach Planning Commission nearly continuously from 1988 to 2015. Norm has played a role in multiple environmental and land use initiatives, including two on preserving Laguna Beach open space (1998 and 2012), four on redevelopment of El Toro Air Station (1994-2000), and one on growth management in Orange County (1988). He was one of the negotiators involved in purchasing Laguna Canyon in 1990. His professional background is digital engineering, with experience in the aerospace industry and academia.

David Heuer

David Heuer grew up surrounded by the forests of Southern Illinois with an appreciation for the natural environment and love for all wildlife. That love guided his interest in science throughout his education as he earned a BS in Zoology from CSULB and a MS in Wildlife Management from Eastern Kentucky University. He pursued his interest in ecology with a career as an air quality manager and sales management positions in the fields of waste and water treatment, hazardous waste disposal services, specialty chemicals and laboratory services. David has been leading hikes as a volunteer for the Laguna Canyon Foundation since 2008.

Ann Larson

Ann Larson grew up in the Inland Empire where her family settled after her father was transferred from New Hampshire to March AFB and then Norton AFB. Ann earned a dual major in Environmental Studies and Geography with a Certificate in Urban Planning from CSUSB. In 1983, Ann began her career in urban planning in San Bernardino. In 1990 she was hired as a Senior Planner by the City of Laguna Beach. She retired as the Assistant Director of Community Development after 26 years of service. Upon retiring, she began volunteering for Laguna Greenbelt to work on the Wildlife Corridor Camera Study. Ann is active in many outdoor activities including hiking, skiing, swimming and biking. She recently became a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs of America.

Madeleine Peterson

Madeleine Peterson grew up as an “army brat” moving every two or three years until graduating from UCLA. During the next 28 years she made her home in Connecticut working as a reading/language arts and curriculum specialist. She also became involved with the Nature Conservancy there. Returning to California in 1996, she became part of the Reading Department for the Capistrano Unified School District. Madeleine is a past president of AAUW-LB and served on the Community Clinic Board. Currently she serves on the boards of the Laguna Greenbelt Inc, Laguna Live, and AAUW-LB. She, her family, and four grandchildren treasure the area they live in!

Francine Scinto

Francine Scinto holds a Columbia MBA and managed retail and real estate for 40 years, while raising three children. She is known for her lifelong dedication to education and open space preservation. She was elected to the Tustin Unified School District Board six times, serving 24 years there; and 12 years on the Pomona College Board, where she is now a Trustee Emeritus. She is President of the Daniel and Francine Scinto Foundation which supports education and parks and the Laguna Greenbelt

Patricia Twitty

Patricia Twitty, a Laguna Beach resident since the 1970’s, is a retired educator who taught Middle School and Science for over 40 years. She has served on the Greenbelt board since 2000 and chairs the Education Committee, which provides environmental education grants for Laguna Beach teachers and an annual scholarship to LBHS seniors involved in environmental activities. Patricia became a fervent environmental activist when she joined the Laguna Canyon Conservancy and helped in organizing the Walk to Save Laguna Canyon 25 years ago. She is on the board of the Summertree Institute for Environmental Education and is a former board member of the Laguna Art Museum.

Lance Vallery 

Lance Vallery holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning and has been designing innovative built and natural spaces for over 20 years. He sits on two not-for-public open space boards and is interested in preserving and enhancing natural open spaces and how Southern California can enhance wildlife movement throughout the region.

Lennie Vincent

Lenny Vincent, PhD is an emeritus Professor of Biology at Fullerton College who joined the Greenbelt Board in 1995. An entomologist-arachnologist by training, he gives public lectures on the natural history of spiders. From 1998 to 2018, Lenny was on the board and a past president of the Schlinger Foundation, which established several entomological chairs at UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and the California Academy of Science.

Ex-officio Biographies

Anthony Falcone

Anthony Falcone, originally born in NYC, grew up in Irvine when his family moved west in 1998. Passionate in environmental issues and the outdoors from a young age, in 2014 Anthony achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. Since graduating from the University of Arizona in 2017, he’s campaigned for environmentally conscious candidates and served as a Congressional Aid from 2019 – 2024. In this role, he developed a network of environmentally focused stakeholders to facilitate cooperation to achieve Orange County’s environmental goals. Regular meetings with this network of stakeholders enabled him to advise his Congressmember who in turn brought attention to these issues on the national stage. Anthony is a staunch environmental advocate and looks to expand his advocacy beyond the federal arena.

Robert House

Robert House chaired the science department at Newport Harbor High for 39 years. While there, he founded the Environmental Nature Center, which now educates 16,000 people each year about California’s native plant communities. ENC is also the site of the first Platinum level green building in OC. Robert has been an ecology professor and international tour leader for National Audubon, and a National Park Wilderness Ranger in Yosemite. He attended two victory dinners with Jim Dilley and was the appointed biologist for Dilley’s original Greenbelt study committee. Later he chaired the city’s Open Space Committee and established Laguna’s first nature trail, the Park Avenue Nature Trail.

Michael Pinto

After a successful teaching and business career, Michael Pinto, PhD retired in 1983, devoting his life to community building through nonprofit organizations in the fields of education, the environment and social welfare. He was founder and chair of the Laguna Canyon Foundation, vice-chair of the Orange County Great Park Corporation, and served on the California State Parks Foundation board. Michael advises foundations on fundraising and organizational development, and co-chairs the advisory board of the University of San Diego’s Institute for Nonprofit Education and Research. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and a Ph.D. in Integral Studies with a concentration in nonprofit organizational theory and transformation.